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2025-2026

Health, Physical Education and Exercise Science, Bachelor of Science (NEXT STEP Pathway)

VCU

Community college:
Associate of Science (Richard Bland College)
Richard Bland College
Richard Bland College
Associate degree

Associate of Science

Completing the associate degree will waive VCU's general education requirements.

Program description
The Department of Kinesiology and Health Sciences offers programs that prepare students to pursue careers that utilize exercise interventions for both healthy and diseased populations and/or careers designed for students who wish to enter a health care-related field (that does not require licensure, certification or registry status). The department offers one undergraduate degree program, the Bachelor of Science, with either the exercise science concentration or the health science concentration.
Career opportunities

Depending on the concentration, the major is designed for students who wish to enter a health care-related field that does not require licensure, certification or registry status such as corporate wellness, human services, nonprofit health promotion and medical and pharmaceutical sales, or exercise physiologist, corporate fitness director, cardiopulmonary rehabilitation specialist, strength and conditioning specialist and wellness director.


Graduates can also be qualified to enter either graduate or professional health science programs, such as public health, health education and promotion, physical therapy, occupational therapy, pharmacy, nursing, speech-language pathology, audiology, radiation safety, clinical laboratory science and health care administration. Additionally, the exercise science concentration prepares students for graduate study in exercise science or athletic training.

Bachelor-level job titles
  • Exercise Physiologist 
  • Fitness and Wellness Coordinator
  • Fitness Trainers and Aerobics Instructors
  • Health Educator
  • Recreation Worker
  • Recreational Therapist
  • Sports Coach or Scout
  • Strength and Conditioning Coach
Graduate and professional level job titles
  • Chief Executive Officer
  • Occupational Therapist
  • Physical Therapist
  • Sports Medicine Doctor
Contact information

 

VCU Transfer Center

Telephone: (804) 827-1349

Email: transferinfo@vcu.edu

Transfer Advising Request

VCCS Transfer Planning Checklist


Office of Admissions

Telephone: (804) 828-1222 or (800) 841-3638

Email: ugrad@vcu.edu
Apply Here.

Guaranteed transfer admission requirements

Completion of associate degree
Minimum GPA of 2.5
All courses must be completed with a grade of "C" or better

Degree requirements in Bulletin
Plan of study in Bulletin
Requirements
Highest level of math required
  • MATH 151
  • STAT 210
Science required
  • 5+ additional science courses
Foreign language requirements
  • Yes
Additional tuition/fees
  • Yes
GPA requirements (to progress/graduate in the major)
  • 2.0 to graduate, grade of C or better required in all major and concentration courses
VCU Major Maps

View VCU Major Map for Health, Physical Education and Exercise Science with concentration in Exercise Science, Health Science

Transfer major map
Visit majormaps.vcu.edu for the online version with links.
Sponsored by the Office of the Provost
Major map compass icon
2025-2026

Health, Physical Education and Exercise Science, Bachelor of Science (NEXT STEP Pathway)

Richard Bland College (Associate of Science)

MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
Explore Year 1
  • Make friends with people with diverse perspectives and join a cultural or identity-related student organization.
  • Attend cultural events at RBC and/or VCU and celebrate diversity.
  • Attend VCU's annual Intercultural Festival or another community intercultural event.
  • Familiarize yourself with the career services offered at RBC and VCU and explore career pathways on the VCU Career Services website.
  • Take advantage of free Financial Aid counseling.
  • Practice independent living skills (such as money management, self-care, time management, and personal responsibility).
  • Create a weekly and monthly budget.
  • Develop personal and career goals and create SMART steps for 2-3 "dream jobs."
Experience Year 2
  • Become familiar with OMSA at VCU.
  • Continue learning a foreign language or make a plan for undertaking that study at VCU.
  • Learn about short-term, semester and year-long study abroad options.
  • Attend VCU cultural events, including the monthly Global Café, VCU Diversity Scholars in Research week.
  • Attend Career & Internship Fairs at RBC or VCU to explore your interests.
  • Plan to complete at least two internships or job experiences before your senior year of college.
  • Find out about VCU REAL and learn about REAL graduation requirement.
  • Conduct informational interviews or shadow someone in a field of career interest.
  • Using LinkedIn, connect to at least 10 people. Check out the VCU alumni page in My Network.
  • Consider who you would like to have serve as professional and academic references for future letters of recommendation.
  • Explore the types of aid available at VCU.
  • Use the cost calculator to estimate your tuition/fees as an upperclassman at VCU.
  • Take advantage of free Financial Aid counseling.

Explore
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
  • Make friends with people with diverse perspectives and join a cultural or identity-related student organization.
  • Attend cultural events at RBC and/or VCU and celebrate diversity.
  • Attend VCU's annual Intercultural Festival or another community intercultural event.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
  • Familiarize yourself with the career services offered at RBC and VCU and explore career pathways on the VCU Career Services website.
  • Take advantage of free Financial Aid counseling.
  • Practice independent living skills (such as money management, self-care, time management, and personal responsibility).
  • Create a weekly and monthly budget.
  • Develop personal and career goals and create SMART steps for 2-3 "dream jobs."

Experience
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
  • Become familiar with OMSA at VCU.
  • Continue learning a foreign language or make a plan for undertaking that study at VCU.
  • Learn about short-term, semester and year-long study abroad options.
  • Attend VCU cultural events, including the monthly Global Café, VCU Diversity Scholars in Research week.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
  • Attend Career & Internship Fairs at RBC or VCU to explore your interests.
  • Plan to complete at least two internships or job experiences before your senior year of college.
  • Find out about VCU REAL and learn about REAL graduation requirement.
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
  • Conduct informational interviews or shadow someone in a field of career interest.
  • Using LinkedIn, connect to at least 10 people. Check out the VCU alumni page in My Network.
  • Consider who you would like to have serve as professional and academic references for future letters of recommendation.
  • Explore the types of aid available at VCU.
  • Use the cost calculator to estimate your tuition/fees as an upperclassman at VCU.
  • Take advantage of free Financial Aid counseling.
Recommended courses
Major map compass icon
2025-2026

Health, Physical Education and Exercise Science, Bachelor of Science (NEXT STEP Pathway)

Richard Bland College (Associate of Science)

Richard Bland College courses
Course Title Equivalent course Credits Requirements
ENGL 101 Rhetoric and Research I UNIV 111 3 General education
ENGL 102 Rhetoric and Research II UNIV 200 3 General education
Language & Ideas Select 1: ENGL 203, 204, 205, 206, 210, 211, 214, 215, 216, PHIL 101, 201, 202, 203, 270, REL 201, 209, 210, 270, COMM 101, 102, 201. VCU equivalent 3 General education
Fine Arts Select 1: ART 201, 202, 231, MUS 103, MUS 123, THEA 201. VCU equivalent 3 General education
MATH 151 Pre-calculus II MATH 151 4 Major (Ancillary)
MATH 217 Statistics STAT 210 3 Major (Ancillary)
Human Experience Select 2: ANTH 103, PHIL 101, 121, 201, 202, 203, REL 201, 209, 210, SOC 201, 204, 208, 250, 253. VCU equivalent 6 General education
U.S. & World Cultures Select 3: ECON 201, ECON 202, GEO 101, GEO 103, GOVT 201, GOVT 202, GOVT 203, HIST 101, HIST 102, HIST 191, 192, HIST 201, HIST 202, HIST 240, REL 209, REL 210, REL 219, REL 220, REL 254 (at least one must be history). VCU equivalent 9 General education
PSY 210 Survey of Psychology (or take both PSY 201 + PSY 202 if PSY 210 is not available). PSYC 101 3 Major (Ancillary)
PSY 250 Developmental Psychology PSYC 304 3 Major (Ancillary)
BIOL 101 + Lab General Biology I + Lab BIOL/Z 101 4 Major (Ancillary)
CHEM 101 + Lab General Chemistry I + Lab CHEM/Z 101 4 Major (Ancillary)
BIOL 205 Human Anatomy and Physiology I (both BIOL 205 and BIOL 206 must be taken to be equivalent to VCU’s courses) BIOL 205 + PHIS/Z 206 4 Major (Ancillary)
BIOL 206 Human Anatomy and Physiology II (both BIOL 205 and BIOL 206 must be taken to be equivalent to VCU’s courses) BIOL 205 + PHIS/Z 206 4 Major (Ancillary)
Complete requirements for associate degree VCU equivalents 4 Elective
Richard Bland credits transferred to VCU 60
VCU courses
Course Title Credits Requirements
Bachelor of Science in Health, Physical Education and Exercise Science with a concentration in Exercise Science
HPEX 300 Healthcare Delivery in the U.S. 3 Major
HPEX 310 Fitness and Health 3 Major
HPEX 395 Clinical Experience I 3 Major
HPEX 495 Clinical Experience II 6 Major
HPEX 350 Nutrition 3 Major
HPEX 371 Psychology of Physical Activity 3 Major
HPEX 374 Musculoskeletal Structure and Movement 4 Major
HPEX 375 + HPEZ 375 Physiology of Exercise and Laboratory 4 Major
HPEX 380 Resistance Training for Health and Performance 3 Major
HPEX 440 Chronic Disease and Exercise Management 3 Major
HPEX 441 Assessment and Exercise Intervention in Health and Disease 3 Major
HPEX 470 Exercise Programming and Leadership 3 Major
HPEX 475 Cardiovascular Pathophysiology and Pharmacology 3 Major
HPEX 480 Professional Certification Seminar 1 Major
PHYS 201 General Physics I 4 Major (Ancillary)
Approved electives (check with VCU advisor) 11 Major
Credits completed at VCU 60
Bachelor's degree total 120
Bachelor of Science in Health, Physical Education and Exercise Science with a concentration in Health Science
HPEX 300 Healthcare Delivery in the U.S. 3 Major
HPEX 310 Fitness and Health 3 Major
HPEX 395 Clinical Experience I 3 Major
HPEX 495 Clinical Experience II 6 Major
HPEX 250 Medical Terminology 1 Major
HPEX 345 Nutrition for Health and Disease 3 Major
HPEX 352 Substance Abuse 3 Major
HPEX 353 Disease Trends, Prevention and Control 3 Major
HPEX 354 Coping and Adaptation 3 Major
HPEX 357 Personal Health and Behavior Change 3 Major
HPEX 358 Introduction to Epidemiology 3 Major
HPEX 435 Health Disparities in the U.S. 3 Major
HPEX 445 Principles of Health Care Management 3 Major
PHYS 201 General Physics I 4 Major (Ancillary)
Approved electives (check with VCU advisor) 16 Elective
Credits completed at VCU 60
Bachelor's degree total 120
VCU offers students multiple options for accelerated B.S. and M.S. programs. Please consult with a VCU advisor for more information about minimum qualifications for entrance to the accelerated programs.